Windmill.



No. 657,959.} Patented Sept. I8, I900.

.1. H. RICKMAN.

WINDMILL.

(Application filed July 19, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet "m: mums PErsRS co.. PMOYOLIIHU, WAsMmGTOm u. a

No. 657,959. Patented Sept. 18, I900.

.1. H. RICKMAN.

WINDMILL.

(Application filed July 19, 1899 (No Modei.)

. 2 Shaet UNITE STATES.-

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. RIOKMAN, F GLADSTONE, NORTH DAKOTA.

WINDMILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,959, dated September 18, 1900,

Application filed July 19, 1899- Serial No. 724,383. Kllo model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

. Be it known that I, JOHN H. RICKMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Gladstone, Stark county, State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Windmills; and my preferred manner of carrying out the invention is set forth in the following full, clear, and exact description, terminating with claims particularly specifying the novelty.

This invention relates to windmills of that class which rotate in a horizontal plane; and the object of the same is to produce means whereby theentire mill head or wheel will be automatically lowered into andhoused within a casing in times of storm, yet permitting the machine to do its work under ordinary circumstances and to be operated upon by a brake in order to retard its speed of rotation, when desired.

To this end thein'vention consists in the construction an arrangement'of parts for carrying out the above object, all as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- 1n- Figure 1 is a general elevation of this machine entire,'pa'rtly in section, showing the wheel as raised. Fig. 2 is a plan view, also partly insection, illustrating the action of the blades under the influence of the wind,which blows in the direction of the arrow W, while the wheel rotates in the direction of the arrow B. This view also shows the housing in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail illustrating the clutch mechanism which I employ for automatically driving the winding-shaft when thrown into operation by means'of the governor.

Referring to the said drawings, 1 1 are two upright posts having grooves '2 2 on their inner faces and connected by top and bottom cross-bars 3 and 4, in which is journaled a central upright shaft 5, grooved longitudinally, as shown at 6. a

7 7 are two short postsset diametrically opposite the shaft on a line at right angles to the longer posts, and 8 designates a framework or housing of any proper character connecting all these posts and above which the splined on the main shaft 5.

upper ends of the main posts project, as seen in Fig. 1. This housing is shown in section in Fig. 2.

The wheel-frame comprises two side bars 10, having tongues 11 engaging the grooves 2 in the main posts, and two cross-bars 12, connecting the extremities of the side bars and havingvertical alined holes 13, through which the main shaft passes loosely.

14 is a rope or chain leading from the upper cross-bar 12 over the pulleys 15 in the top bar 3 to a counterbalance, preferably consisting of a receptacle 16, having lugs 17 at its sides sliding in grooves 18 in proper uprights,

as shown. The wheel is mounted within the frame upon a suitable washer 400, and in the receptacle is placed rocks or other weights sufficient to overbalance both the frame and the wheel.

The wheel proper consists of two hubs or heads 20, each splined into the groove 6 of the main shaft 5 and preferably connected by a tubular shaft 200, tangential arms 21,

diverging from these heads, and upright struts or rods 22, connecting these arms in pairs at points between theirinner and outer ends. The blades 23 are mounted on upright pivots 24 at their outer edges in the arms 21,

near the outer ends of the latter, and when swinging in one direction each blade strikes a flange 25, which limits its movement to a plane parallel with one edge of the arm.

7 26 is a chain having a spiral spring 27 in-- sorted within its length, these elements forming a connection between the free edge of each blade and the vertical center of one of the struts 22.

30 designates the power-shaft, mounted in suit-ablebearings and geared, as at 31, to the main shaft near its lower end, and 32 is a governor geared, as at 33, to the power-shaft. The'movements of this governor turn on its pivot a rock-shaft 34, one end of which is attached by a fork 35 to a collar 36, which is As seen in Fig. 3, several rods 37 are pivoted, as-at 38, to this collar and carry at their outer ends shoes 39, forming one member of a clutch.

40 is a pulley mounted loosely above a shoulder 41 on the main shaft, andthe rim of this pulley is made deep, so as to receive said shoes and constitute the other member of a clutch.

42 is a spring between the hub of the pulley and the collar 36, whereby the latter is normally raised, so as to draw the shoes Qut of frictional engagement with the rim of the pulley. To the latter is connected a winding-drnm 44, and in the present instance I have shown the connection as consisting of a gear-wheel 45, mounted on the shaft of the drum 44 and engaging teeth 46 on the periphery of the pulley 40 However, it will 'be clear that any othersuitable connection could be employed. \Vound upon said drum is a rope or chain 50, which leads under-a suitable pulley 51 and is connected with the lower cross-bar of the wheel-frame.

is a brake pivoted, as at 61, in the wheelframe, and hence movable vertically therewith, and 62 is a cord depending from this brake by which it may be operated. The brake is not always employed; but when it is the outer ends of the arms 21 should be connected by an annular band 63, beneath which the operative end of the brake bears when the cord 62 is drawn upon.

All parts are of the desired sizes, shapes, proportions, and materials, and considerable change in the specific details of construction can be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. As above indicated, the housing 8 may be and preferably is solid in localities where cyclones are prevalent; but at other places it may not be necessary to completely inclose the same.

In operation, the wind blowing in the direction indicated by the arrow W in Fig. 2, the wheel will rotate, as shown by the arrow R. Those blades 23 on the right side of the wheel here illustrated will rest against the flanges 25, and as soon as each blade passes the other side of the wheel it will swing, as seen at 0, around its pivot 24, thus suddenly tightening the chain 26 and slightly stretching the spring 27, which prevents a too sudden limiting of the swinging movement and avoids disaster to parts. Continuing forward at the left side of the wheel here shown, the blades naturally swing on their pivots as the direction of the wind requires, and, finally, as they pass across the front side of the wheel they drop back against their flanges 25 into position for renewed operation. The rotation of the wheel causes similar movement of the main shaft 5 and the power-shaft 30, and the latter drives the governor, as usual. Should the speed become excessive, the governor rocks the lever 34, which depresses the collar 36 against the tension of the spring 42 and throws the shoes 39 into frictional contact with the pulley 40. The latter thus receiving its rotary motion communicates it to the winding-drum 44, and the rope 50 draws the entire wheel-frame slowly downward, this being accomplished as the rope winds upon the drum and the counterbalance, l6 rises in its guides. If the housing Sis solid, thedownward movement of the frame and wheel soon carries the lower ends of the blades out of the action of the wind, and the result is the speed of rotation, will be reduced. The reverse movement of the governor and clutch then takes place, and the weight 16 causes the frame and wheel to again rise slightly. Thus the machine under ordinary circumstances automatically adjusts itself to varying forces of the wind. The operator controls the degree of the adjustment through the setting of the governor, as usual, and if at any time he should desire to temporarily retard or check the rotation of the wheel a pull on the cord 62 will effect this object by applying the brake 60 no matter What is the position of the wheel itself.

In addition to the extreme simplicity of this device and its positively-autom atic operation I consider it especially advantageous in that its movement is not checked under any force of wind which does not completely demolish the structure. For instance, suppose the posts and housing were sufficiently strong to withstand a cyclone. The Wind increases from a breeze to a cyclone, and the wheel descends to the degree above described. Continuing to increase in violence, the wind causes a still further descent of the wheel, as will be clear. Finally, when the cyclone is blowing the'wheel will have descended until only the extreme upper ends of its blades project above the housing 8, and against these the strongest wind strikes and rotates the wheel throughout the storm.

What I claim as new is 1. In a windmill, the combination with an upright shaft, a wheel-frame mounted loosely thereon, means for raising and lowering the frame bodily, and a brake mounted on the lower cross-bar of the frame andhaving a depending operating-cord; of a horizontal wheel whose hubs are splined on said shaft within the frame, arms diverging from the hubs and connected in upright pairs, an annular band connecting the lower arms and against which said brake bears, swinging blades carried by the arms, and means for limiting their movements, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a windmill, the combination with two upright grooved posts connected by top and bottom bars, a vertical shaft journaled in the latter, two short posts in line with said shaft at right angles to the grooved posts, a housing embracing the short posts and the lower ends of the other posts, a wheel-frame part of the height of the longer posts and moving in said grooves, and a counterbalance-weight for this frame; of the wind-wheel mounted within the frame and having its hubs splined on said shaft, a governor driven by the shaft, a winding-drum having a rope connected with said wheel-frame, a clutch between the main shaft I spectively splined and loose, connections between the splined memberand the governor, a winding-drum connected with the loose member, and a rope leading therefrom to the wheel-frame, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a windmill, the combination with an upright grooved shaft, a wheel-frame loose thereon, means for normally raising the frame,

. and a wheel within the frame and splined on the shaft; of a windingdrum for drawing the wheel-frame downward, a clutch consisting of a collar splined on the shaft, rods pivoted thereto and radiating therefrom, shoes at their outer ends, a pulley Whose hub is loose on the shaft and whose rim embraces said shoes and ,is connected with said drum, an expansive spring between the collar and hub, a governor driven by the shaft, and connections between the governor and collar for moving the latter toward the hub when the wind becomes excessive, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my signature this the 29th day of June, A. D. 1899.

JOHN H. RICKMAN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE CALVIN, GEO. R. RICKMAN. 

